Do you look at the show rooms in your interior decor magazines and wish those clean, stylish rooms were in your home? Are you overwhelmed by the clutter in your house and feel like it has gotten so out of control that you are suffocating? Getting that contemporary look from the magazine pages to your living room is very much a possibility. With just a few simple changes you can start throwing dinner parties in your gorgeous home for your very envious friends.

Contemporary Decorating - Image 1Don’t join the cast of Hoarders, organize!

The first step is to get your clutter organized. This is the time to empty the junk drawers, look under the bed and face your garage. Start with the smaller projects first, and work your way up to the larger ones. Your main goal should be ensuring that every item in your home has a place that it belongs. This is by far the most difficult step for any normal household, but the result will be a cleaner and more polished look for your home.

Contemporary Decorating - Image 2Organization is the secret to this contemporary look.

The next step toward creating your contemporary oasis is choosing a color scheme. The contemporary style is accentuated by modern colors such as white and black. White walls may seem boring, but they do wonders in a contemporary styled space. The room will seem brighter and larger and the items in the room will take center-stage. If you decide to paint the walls white, consider bold colored furniture such as black or red, which will stand out beautifully against the crisp, white surroundings.


 White with white: surprisingly chic.

The last step is to add the finishing touches.

Hide unsightly cords with a stylish cable box or even inside your wall if you have a wall-mounted television. Add a focal art piece to the room that captures your personality and makes the room more lively, while still retaining clean lines and minimalist decor. Feel free to add a few key pieces around the room such as a modern standing lamp or a bold vase on the coffee table. An area rug is a great way to add a pop of color without detracting from the room’s overall look.

Bringing the contemporary look into your home is not as unattainable as it seems. It is all about reducing the amount of  “stuff” laying around the room and creating a relaxing living environment. Once you have gotten your home organized and polished, try to avoid buying anything you don’t absolutely love or need. Focus more time and attention on the spaces and rooms that tend to build up junk faster to keep your home from regressing to its former unorganized state. When these habits have been engrained into your daily routine, your home will be easier to clean and reflect that contemporary charm you have always wanted.

Jessica Galbraith is an American freelance writer living in the UK. She specializes in travel writing, the expat lifestyle and articles that focus on how to remove personal information from online sources.